TN: 1991 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia

WINE TALK
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  • 1991 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (6/25/2011)
    My first experience with a Rioja with a bit of age. The wine was gorgeous, very pure. Impeccable balance.
    great texture. Very Burgundian. Has another 20 years of life–I think it will be at it’s peak in 10.

Posted from CellarTracker

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Jeremy thanks for posting. The Lopez de Heredia red last for ever (well almost). In the past I have had these back to the mid 1960’s (from Rare Wine Co). They were great.

Also had the 1991 Bosconia myself about 3 weeks. It was lovely but as you said plenty of life left in it.

Brodie

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Damn. I pulled one of these out of storage yesterday. I guess it is going back.

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if you’ve got multiple, try one. You may like them younger and who knows where or if you’ll be in another 10. I like wine old, too, but more and more I’m grabbing at least one bottle of something young just to check out its evolution.
alan

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Good point. I’ll do what I did with the '91 Tondonia; open it early in the day to check it out and allow plenty of time to decide what to do with it before dinner. I’ve been struck how these older LdH’s have beautiful aromatics on Day 1 that are greatly diminished by Day 2. My new rule of thumb is finish them on Day 1.

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It never occurred to me not to finish on day one. We had that very wine Friday night - I thought it was just fine. I suppose you could keep it longer but exactly why I don’t know - it’s 20 years old and drinking well right now. I’m wondering how, if it were to have been my first experience, I’d have been able to decide it would be peaking in 10 more years. [scratch.gif]

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LdH releases wines when they feel that the wines are ready to drink. Because of that I always try at least a bottle of the new releases when they come out, rather than waiting. More often than not the wines are stunning. Will they change with more time, sure. Will they really be better, debatable.

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On the occasions I’ve had them, it has been just my wife and me over dinner. From now on I’ll explain that I must carpe diem or carpe bottle because the life of those beautiful aromas is tragically brief.

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Thanks to all for the perspective on cellaring LdH wines. I’m a recent fan with little long term experience. I figured they were ready to drink at release but had no idea how long they keep after release and how much they may improve.

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I’ve had this wine three times now, and each time it has been glorious. Still an adolescent with loads of upside, but there’s absolutely no shame in drinking one now, as it’s such a marvel to drink a 20 year old wine that has the freshness of a new release and the complexity and depth of a maturing grand vin. The '81 of this wine is truly marvelous right now, and to me, a pointe.

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I’ve had multiple bottles of the 81’s both Bosconia and Tonidia (both blanc and red) and all have been fantastic. I think they will still show well for a few more years, but are getting up there in price these days. The white might be about to peak, but still saving a bottle for a couple of more years as it is my birthyear wine.

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Patrick, two people?

So I suppose you open a nice white, perhaps even a LdH (but not necessarily), and then the Bosconia?

neener

Anyhow, keep them as long as you want. They can age for a long time. But that doesn’t mean they’re not worth drinking at 20 years. A lot depends on what you want. For me, I’m always a little intrigued by a wine that’s 40 years old or more but that doesn’t mean they’re more pleasurable or better than they were a few years earlier. It becomes a personal preference thing and some people prefer them much older.

But then, some people like granny porn too, [wow.gif] and well, that’s just a whole different approach to life!

Cheers!

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I love the '76 Bosconia Reserva. I picked up a case a few years ago for a really good price. Excellent with a prime rib roast.

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Quite the opposite of my experience, through seven or eight bottles evenly split between the Tondonia and Bosconia GRs, several vintages going back to the 1970, and bought from three or four different, usually reliable, retailers; the only one that showed well was the 1970 Tondonia GR, and that one showed really well.

That said, and against my better judgment, I bough a bottle of the 1991 Tondonia GR not so long ago. I want to like these wines but it’s proving a very expensive experimentation.

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What can I say? The spouse does not imbibe that much. I’ll start bringing peer pressure to bear and mock her mercilessly. Something like, “Only babies can’t drink half a bottle of Lopez de Heredia with their conejo en salmorejo.” [tease.gif]

Bummer, Frank. So far I have not had that kind of experience but it seems plenty of others have. No doubt my number will be up eventually.

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I have a couple bottles of this and the 91 Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia Blanco. Recently purchased, good to see them put up.

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Similar experience with the '91s (and I like these wine, too). Opened a bottle each of '91 Tondonia and Bosconia GRs at different times last year and wished that I hadn’t. Even the mid-80’s stuff, imho, could benefit with more cellar aging.